For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house.
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
The Unprofitable Servant Luke Luke 17:7-10
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Bible Dictionary - Vine : Palestine has always been famous for its vines. The growing of grapes was part of the regular occupation of the Israelites after the settlement of Canaan. The vine was frequently regarded as a symbol of the Jewish and Christian Church.
Classification: The Ministry of the Church
Interpretation: The vineyard is the Church and the gospel, the householder is the Savior, the hirelings are those that join the church and covenant to build up the Kingdom of God. Some began the Lord's work early in life, others at mid life, and still others very late in life, practically on their death bed. Regardless of when they begin to work, all receive the same reward.
There are two ways this can be interpreted. I think the common one that we often think of is this one: Those that started early in life thought they should receive a greater reward. But the Lord reminds them that they are being rewarded with what was agreed upon and it's His will to decide who gets rewarded with what.
The second interpretation is more in terms of time periods in the history of the world instead of time periods in terms of a person's life. The Israelites first covenanted to work in the vineyard. Eventually the Gentiles were allowed in to do the work. This angered many Jews who did not think the Gentiles should get the same Heavenly reward as the Jews.
Application: I feel like I have been in the vineyard my whole life. And I have been blessed for it! The joy of feeling like I'm accomplishing something, meeting fellow workers, the comforting, secure feeling that my family will be provided with Heavenly blessings is priceless. I know there are people in the church that have a superior attitude about being lifelong members from pioneer stock and seem to have an entitlement problem. We've all seen them. They come out of the woodwork every time we discuss this parable in Sunday School.
Let's imagine for a moment those laboring in the vineyard. Sure, it's probably hard work. The sun might be beating fiercely down on them. But can you see their smiles? Can you see the relief on their faces knowing they will have the means to provide another meal for the children? Can you feel the joy in their hearts as they make friends with those laboring beside them? Why wouldn't we want everyone to have that?
Now imagine those standing idle in the marketplace. Why are they at the marketplace? They are looking for work. They are looking for something, someway to provide for their families. Can you see the worry and fear on their faces as they worry about making enough money to pay for tomorrow's meals? They were asked near the end of the day, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" Their answer, "Because no man hath hired us!" They want a job. They desperately need a job! They're not asking for a handout, just for the opportunity to work.
Remember the prized wage that the laborers are rewarded at the end of the day: A penny. One penny. Nobody is buying mansions on high with a penny. That's enough to buy food for the next day. I want you to take a look at this picture:
Do you see the lady in the middle? The light forces the eye to look at her first. She is completely incensed at the pay. It's the pay she agreed to. So why did she think she was getting more? Now look in the bottom right hand corner. You should see a husband and wife looking together at their pay. Right beside them is a little child. Look how happy they are knowing they will be able to feed the child. Why would anyone want to deny them of this payment? Sure, they showed up to work at the end of the day but not because they were loafing around. It's because they didn't know where to go. No one showed them the way until close to the end. What relief, what happiness, what Heavenly shouts of joy must have been made knowing this family made it in to the vineyard before it was too late. Why would anyone want to deny them this?
At the end of the day, we are just the laborers, just the servants, the prize of working is not for us to decide. We are all beggars depending on the Lord's mercy. I decided to include the unprofitable servant with this parable because it reminds us that no matter how hard we work, the Savior will never be in our debt. Noah wanted me to add that we get blessings for working hard but even without the blessings He still would never be in our debt. The Atonement he endured for us is too large to ever repay.
"The Laborers in the Vineyard" by Jeffrey R. Holland
By the way: The painting is Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, circa 1750 by Jacob de Wet.
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